dickinson



(No Model.)

J. H. DICKINSON.

ARIAL TRAMWAY.

No. 553,577. y Patenfefd Jan. 28, 1896.

V INVENTOR ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. DICKINSON, OF TRENTON,'NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRENTON IRON COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

AERIAL TRAMWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentgNo. 553,577, dated January 28, 1896. Application filed September 21,1893. Serial No. 486,054. (No model.)

T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH H. DrcKrNsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Trenton, in the county of Mercer and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful 'Improvements in Aerial Tramways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of aerial tramways in which a carriage transporting the load to be carried travels upon a tram-rope, and more especially it relates to that class of such tramways as are used in logging-work.

The object of my' invention, which is generically similar to a former invention of mine for a patent upon which I have heretofore made application, said application being Serial No. 451,734, is to provide a series of automatically-adjustable intermediate supports for the tra1n-rope which will permit of the easy construction of such tramways without nice adjustment of the supports of the tramrope, and will enable the carriage to travel practically upon a level or upon an easy and uniform grade.

In the drawing forming a part of this speciication I have shown the main tramway system as it appears when in use, omitting, however, the engine which operates the windingdrums and the auxiliary loading system, such omitted features being well known, and their operations and functions in their relations to the parts shown being commonly understood by all cognizant with the art.

In the drawings, A B are the terminal standards of the main tramway system.

C O O, 850., are intermediate standards standing in pairs.

a is the tram-rope.

b is the supporting-cable.

c is the hauling-rope.

d is the auxiliary hauling-rope or tail-rope.

e is the winding-drum for the tail-rope d, and f is the winding-drum for the haulingrope c. A

In construction the terminal support B is anchored to prevent fleXure, as shown in -the drawing, and one end of the supporting-cable h is iirmly attached to the standard B at a proper height from the ground. The cable b is then passed through the several sheaves g g g, which swing from the intermediate standards C C C, and over the sheave 7L on the terminal standard A, and is anchored and adjusted by block and tackle, as shown. Between each pair of supporting-sheaves g g is placed on the supporting-cable h a sheave 'L'. These sheaves c' c' are attached to swivelingsaddles j j, in which saddles the tram-rope a is fixed. The tram-rope a is fastened at one end to the standard B, and, being sustained at intermediate points by the swinging saddles j j, is passed over the sheave k on the terminal standard A and isanchored and adjusted by block and tackle, as shown. or tail rope d is attached to a carriage Z of ordinary construction, and passes thence over sheaves on the terminal and intermediate supports, as shown in the drawing, to the drum c, upon which it is wound, while the free end of the hauling-rope c is passed over a sheave depending from the carriage l, and has attached to it a pair of dripping-tongs. The other end of the hauling-rope c is wound upon the drum f.

Vhen the tramway is operated, the carriage Z being` run to a desired point on the line, the gripping-tongs are attached to the log` or other object to be transported and the drum fis set in motion to wind the cable c, and simultaneously the tail-rope d is paid out from the drum c, which drum is controlled by a brake to keep the moving load sufficiently elevated. As the carriage Z traverses the tram-rope a the point of greatest depression in the tram-rope moves with the carriage, and as the carriage approaches one of the saddles j most of the slack in the supporting-cables b is taken up at that point, and the saddle is so lowered as to permit the carriage to pass easily over it without rising from the plane of its course. This operation is repeated as each saddle is passed by the carriage, the other saddles being correspondingly elevated, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is In an aerial tramway, a tramrope, in combination with a continuous adjustable .sup-

The auxiliary.

porting cable passing over supporting sheaves one of which is immediately attached to each support intermediate the end supports of the tramway, Said supporting cable sustaining a sheave between each pair of intermediate Supports, said sheaves, and swveling saddles suspended therefrom and connected with the tramrope; Substantially as shown and de scribed.

JOSEPH I-I. DICKINSON.

Vv'itnesses SAML. D. OLIPHANT, Jr., F. C. LOWTHORP. 

